DEGRESSIVE GAS SPRING

Abstract: The invention relates to a degressive gas spring. This has two cylinder-piston units (1, 2), one of which is selected as a working spring (1) and the other as a slave spring (2), the cylinders (1a; 2a) and the ends of the piston rods (1b; 2b) of which are mutually operatively connected so that compression of the working spring (1) also brings about simultaneous compression of the slave spring (2). The piston rod (1b; 2b) of each spring unit (1; 2) is mounted in an end wall (1c; 2c) in such a way as to be capable of sliding and supports a piston (1h; 2h). The axial position of this in the cylinder (1a; 2a) determines the volume of an enclosed, gas-filled space (1i; 2i) inside the unit. The piston (1h; 2h) in each spring unit (1; 2) is sealed against the cylinder wall (1a; 2a). The piston (1h; 2h) and/or the end wall (1c; 2c) has a recess which forms an annnular chamber (1j; 2j). The piston rod (2b) in the slave spring unit (2) has a smaller diameter than that in the working spring unit (1). The annular chamber (2j) of the slave spring unit (2) communicates with the enclosed space (1i) of the working spring unit (1), and the annular chamber (1j) of the working spring unit (1) communicates with the enclosed space (2i) in the slave spring unit (2). The connections (1l; 2l), which discharge into said enclosed spaces (1i; 2i), are positioned in such a way that communication remains unobstructed by the movement of the piston in the respective unit (1, 2).

Description: Degressive gas spring The present invention relates to a degressive gas spring comprising two cylinder-piston units, one of which is selected as a working spring and the other as a slave spring, the cylinders and the ends of the piston rods of which are mutually operatively connected so that compression of the working spring brings about simultaneous compression of the slave spring, in conjunction with which the piston rod of each spring unit is mounted in an end wall in such a way as to be capable of sliding and supports a piston, the axial position of which in the cylinder determines the volume of an enclosed, gas-filled space inside the unit. A gas spring of the aforementioned kind is the object of Swedish Patent Application No. 9300859-9. The gas spring described here, however, has cylinder-piston units of entirely different construction, which is disadvantageous, amongst other things, from the point of view of spare parts stocks and production. The object of the present invention is to make available a degressive gas spring in which the aforementioned disadvantages have been eliminated as far as possible. This has been achieved in accordance with the invention in that the piston in each spring unit is sealed against the cylinder wall, in that the piston and/or the end wall has a recess which forms an annular chamber, in that the piston rod in the slave spring unit has a smaller diameter than that in the working spring unit, in that the annular chamber of the slave spring unit communicates with the enclosed space of the working spring unit, and in that the annular chamber of the working spring unit communicates with the enclosed space in the slave spring unit, in conjunction with which connections discharging into said enclosed spaces are positioned in such a way that communication remains unobstructed by the movement of the piston in the respective unit. The construction of the gas spring in accordance with the invention makes it possible, in relation to earlier degressive gas springs, to achieve a considerable reduction in its dimensions whilst retaining otherwise unchanged characteristics. The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an embodiment of the degressive gas spring in accordance with the invention is illustrated schematically and as a partially sectioned view. The designations 1 and 2 are used generally in the drawing in respect of two cylinder-piston units, of which the unit 1 is regarded as a working spring unit and the unit 2 as a slave spring unit. The cylinders la, 2a of the units and the ends of the piston rods are mutually operatively connected - by means of a yoke 3, 4 in the embodiment shown in the drawing - so that, when a force marked with an arrow 5 acts on the yoke 3, both cylinder-piston units are compressed. In a practical application, the units may be affected by, for example, two different parts of a single mechanical component, or by two mechanical components capable of synchronous movement. The piston rod lb, 2b of each unit is mounted in corresponding end walls lc, 2c in such a way as to be capable of sliding. The end walls lc, 2c are sealed against the respective cylinder la, lb by means of an O'-ring Id and 2d, and are conventionally fixed with a locking ring le and 2e. There are also seals If, 2f; lg, 2g between the end wall lc, 2c and the associated piston rod lb and 2b, and between the wall of the cylinder la, 2a and the associated piston lh and 2h. In each unit, the axial position of the piston lh and 2h in the cylinder la and 2a determines the volume of a gas-filled space li and 2i. Apart from the piston lh and 2h being sealed against the wall of the cylinder la and 2a, the piston lh and 2h and/or the end wall lc and 2c has a recess which forms an annular chamber lj and 2j in accordance with the invention. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the annular chamber lj is formed from recesses in the form of chamfers in the end wall lc and in the piston lh, whereas the annular chamber 2j is formed by only a single recess in the piston 2h. The volume of the annular chamber 2j is also greater than that of the annular chamber lj, in order to ensure that the units are of identical overall length. The piston rod 2b has a smaller diameter than the piston rod lb. Each of the cylinder-piston units 1, 2 has two connections Ik, 11 and 2k, 21. The connections Ik, 2k discharge into the annular chambers lj and 2j, whereas the connections 11, 21 discharge into the gas-filled spaces li and 2i, and are positioned in such a way that the movement of the piston lh and 2h does not obstruct the flow orifices of the connections 11, 21. The cylinder-piston units are mutually connected via the aforementioned connections Ik, 11 and 2k, 21 by means of pipe or hose lines 6, 7, in such a way that the annular chamber 2j communicates with the space li via the line 6, and the space 2i is connected to the annular chamber lj via the line 7. When the degressive gas spring in accordance with the invention is affected by a force, marked by the arrow 5, the gas present in the spaces li, 2i will be transported to the annular chambers 2j and lj via the lines 6, 7. The gas inside the annular chambers lj, 2j endeavours to force the respective piston lh, 2h downwards, with the consequence that an increasingly small force is required to compress the gas spring, i.e. it exhibits a degressive spring characteristic. Through the appropriate choice of ratio between, on the one hand, the piston rod diameter of the unit and, on the other hand, the piston diameter, it is possible to vary the spring characteristic so that the required compression force approaches zero.

Claims: Patent Claims 1. Degressive gas spring comprising two cylinder-piston units (1, 2), one of which is selected as a working spring (1) and the other as a slave spring (2), the cylinders (la; 2a) and the ends of the piston rods (lb; 2b) of which are mutually operatively connected so that compression of the working spring (1) also brings about simultaneous compression of the slave spring (2), in conjunction with which the piston rod (lb; 2b) of each spring unit (1; 2) is mounted in an end wall (lc; 2c) in such a way as to be capable of sliding and supports a piston (lh; 2h), the axial position of which in the cylinder (la; 2a) determines the volume of an enclosed, gas-filled space (li; 2i) inside the unit, characterized in that the piston (lh; 2h) in each spring unit (1; 2) is sealed against the cylinder wall (la; 2a), in that the piston (lh; 2h) and/or the end wall (lc; 2c) has a recess, which forms an annular chamber (lj; 2j), in that the piston rod (2b) in the slave spring unit (2) has a smaller diameter than that in the working spring unit (1), in that the annular chamber (2j) of the slave spring unit (2) communicates with the enclosed space (li) of the working spring unit (1), and in that the annular chamber (lj) of the working spring unit (1) communicates with the enclosed space (2i) in the slave spring unit (2), in conjunction with which connections (11, 21) discharging into said enclosed spaces (li, 2i) are positioned in such a way that communication remains undisturbed by the movement of the piston in the respective unit (1, 2). 2. Degressive gas spring in accordance with Patent Claim 1, characterized in that the volume of the annular chamber (2j) in the slave spring unit (2) is greater than that of the annular chamber (lj) of the working spring unit (1).

Inventors: SAND GUNNAR, SAND, GUNNAR
Applicants: SAND GUNNAR, STROMSHOLMENS MEK VERKSTAD, SAND, GUNNAR, STROEMSHOLMENS MEKANISKA VERKSTAD AB
Application year: 1994
Main classification: F16F9
IPC codes: F16F9